You can’t move for people talking about Chat GPT at the minute. Question is, is it the answer to all your research and copywriting needs? Using ChatGPT can be a godsend for quick results, but whilst it has its benefits, in its current stage it also has its flaws.
AI has been lurking in the background of society for approximately 60 years. Only recently though, has it risen its head and taken the first step into being used by the everyday person. Gone are the days where only tech geniuses know and use AI. In fact, you’ve probably even heard your nan throwing around the term ‘ChatGPT’ by now. Open AI has produced this tool and made a free and easy-to-use version that anyone can access online, meaning ChatGPT has since taken the world by storm.
Knowing and understanding ChatGPT is one thing, however using ChatGPT and getting the most out of it is a whole other ball game. On the surface of it, it seems simple. Type in what you want to know, and you’ll get instant results. You can use it for anything, from ‘Explain what quantum physics is’ to ‘Write me a romantic poem for Valentine’s Day’. Despite the quick and unique results it will give you, using Chat GPT is a tool to be worked with rather than relied on. So, what are the pros and cons to using ChatGPT?
Pros
Want a quick answer to a tricky question? ChatGPT can deliver. Given the AI tool is not already overwhelmed with users, it can give you an instant result to whatever you’re looking for. It negates the need to scroll through pages of google or trope your way around a website seeking the exact information that answers your question. Instead, it simply delivers it within a matter of seconds based on the vast data it is trained to learn and regurgitate in its own words.
It can adapt its response to your need. Granted you need to be specific, but ChatGPT can change its answers based on your explicit instructions. If you need a simple explanation of a complex theory, just ask it to ‘explain it as if speaking to a 5-year-old’. Alternatively, if you’ve used it to produce copy, you can change the tone of voice by telling it what you need. Instead of ‘write me a short story about farm animals’, you can ask ‘write me a funny and inspiring short story about farm animals, which has strong moral integrity.’ Based on the instructions you give it; it will produce differing results.
It’s a great starting point. ChatGPT is no replacement for a human, but it’s how you work with it that can make it impactful. Believe it or not, the human mind is pretty incredible and whilst AI is impressive (and kind of scary) it’s not quite reached the capabilities of an actual person. However, it is a brilliant springboard for ideas.
Copywriters and marketers are using it to inspire new ideas. For example, creating a blog title or email header can be made easier by running ideas through the AI tool. For example, using ChatGPT and asking for 10 ideas for a blog title about ‘tips on making the perfect cake’, whittling down your favourites and asking for more variations. Eventually you can have a whole list of ideas that you can use an adapt for your own use. Combining the tech with the expert mind can be a winning combination.
Cons
ChatGPT is slightly behind the times, meaning you can’t always find the information you need based on what topic you’re looking into. The most up-to-date version of ChatGPT only has data up until June 2020, meaning if you’re looking for an answer about Liz Truss’ reign as Prime Minister, it’s unlikely to know what you’re talking about.
Writing is as much about the emotion as it is about the facts. Whilst ChatGPT can refer to its learnt data to deliver answers based on ‘facts’, it can’t deliver that information in the way a human can. We asked ChatGPT ‘Do you have emotions?’ and it replied ‘As an AI language model, ChatGPT does not have emotions or feelings. It is a machine learning algorithm that has been designed to analyse language patterns and generate responses based on the patterns it has learned from its training data.’ Despite being able to change the tone of the copy based on your instructions, it can’t accurately portray emotions in the same way a person can.
AI learns everything is knows from data, and sadly data can be bias. In fairness, this is down to the prejudices that humans have inflicted on society throughout history that the data simply reflects. Having said that, whilst humans are progressing, AI still has discriminative data that might warp its perceptions of certain topics. Therefore, occasionally the results that ChatGPT delivers can be inaccurate and prejudice thanks to the data it has drawn the answer from.
Like we’ve said, it’s no replacement for a human. Maybe that’s a con or maybe it’s a plus. It comes back to the fact that the answers are generated from data, meaning there is a limitation on the creativity of the tool. It might produce copy that is based on fact, but it can’t present it creatively or produce original thought. Using AI exclusively would halt societies progress. Instead, we need people to keep creativity and new thinking flowing. Whilst it can be that springboard, there needs to be a person jumping from it to carry and find the quality in the answers it delivers.
Living in an AI world
AI isn’t taking over just yet, and the value of real people is still very much at the realm of society currently. There are ways, however, that AI can be incorporated into life to make it easier for people to create content and learn facts. Although, for now people have to be the driving point to make using ChatGPT and other AI tools worthwhile.
(This article was written by a real-life person).
